slimarch.exe is the command-line engine for Slim Archiver. It creates and opens archives in the high-ratio .slim format, with optional encryption, self-extracting archives, and split volumes.
Engine: slimarch.exe · Version 1.0.0 · For the graphical application, run “Slim Archiver.exe” instead (see the User Guide). This reference covers the command line only.
Maximum — Zstd + LZMA hybrid, one LZMA stream per block (best ratio, slowest).
Dictionary size (create)
-d<size>
Sliding dictionary size. Suffixes: k/K, m/M. Examples: -d16m, -d32m, -d64m (default). 64 MB is the maximum effective dictionary — larger values are clamped to 64 MB. Affects the Zstandard part of High (-m3) and above; the LZMA part of -m4..-m6 always uses 64 MB. An unreadable size (e.g. -d0, -dabc) stops with Error: invalid dictionary size and exit code 1.
Worker threads
-t<N>
Number of worker threads. Default: auto (all logical cores). Example: -t4.
Extraction destination and selection (extract)
-o<dir>
Folder to extract into. Default: alongside the archive. Example: -o"D:\Restored". The folder can also be given after the archive name: slimarch.exe x backup.slim "D:\Restored".
-i<path>
Extract only this file or folder (a folder with everything inside it), named as in the archive's listing (l); \ and / both work. Repeat it for several. Only the parts of the archive those entries need are read. A name that is not in the archive is an error. Example: -i"docs\report.txt".
Encryption & security
-p<pass>
Encrypt (on create) or decrypt (on extract/list/test) using the given password. Encryption uses XChaCha20-Poly1305 with Argon2id key derivation (libsodium).
-en
Also encrypt file names and metadata. Requires -p or -cac. Long form: --encrypt-names.
-cac[:<thumbprint>]
Encrypt for a smart card / CAC certificate instead of a password. -cac asks Windows to choose the certificate; -cac:<thumbprint> selects it by its SHA-1 thumbprint. Not together with -p, and not with -sfx. Opening the archive needs the same card (and its PIN) — nothing else; if the card or its private key is lost, the archive cannot be opened. A missing card, a cancelled certificate choice or PIN ends with exit code 15. ENT
Archive structure (create)
-s
Solid archive (default) — files share compression history for a better ratio.
-s-
Non-solid archive — compress files independently.
--no-sort
Keep the files in the order given: no file ordering or grouping before compression (the ratio may be lower).
Split into volumes of the given size. Suffixes: k/m/g; decimals allowed. Examples: -v10m, -v100m, -v4g, -v4.7g. A number without a suffix is read as MB up to 4096, and as bytes above that. An unreadable size stops with Error: invalid volume size and exit code 1. PRO
Extraction behavior (extract)
-y
Overwrite existing files without prompting. Long form: --overwrite.
4. Licensing tiers
Free / Evaluation
All compression methods (-m1..-m6), extraction, listing, integrity test, password encryption (-p), and file-name encryption (-en).
Pro PRO
Self-extracting archives (-sfx) and split volumes (-v).
Enterprise ENT
Smart Card / CAC encryption (-cac), plus the GUI-based enterprise features (vault integration, cloud connectors, governance) described in the Administrator guides.
If a Pro or Enterprise option is used without the required license, the command reports the error and does not create the archive. To retrieve this machine's Hardware ID for activation: slimarch.exe -hwid.
5. Exit codes
Code
Meaning
0
Success.
1
Error (see the message printed to standard error).
10
The destination needs administrator rights (the application offers “Elevate & Retry”).
15
Smart card: the card or certificate is not available, or the certificate choice or PIN was cancelled.
20
The End User License Agreement has not been accepted on this computer: start Slim Archiver once and accept it, or reinstall it with /ACCEPTEULA=1 (organisations).
Always check for a non-zero code to detect failure in scripts.
6. Examples
Task
Command
Print this machine's Hardware ID
slimarch.exe -hwid
Create a basic archive from a folder
slimarch.exe c backup.slim project_folder
Maximum compression with a 64 MB dictionary
slimarch.exe c db.slim data -m6 -d64m
Encrypt the archive and its file names
slimarch.exe c secret.slim docs -pMyPassword -en
Limit to 4 worker threads
slimarch.exe c build.slim src -t4
Extract to a folder, overwriting existing files
slimarch.exe x backup.slim -o"D:\Restored" -y
Extract only one file
slimarch.exe x backup.slim -i"docs\report.txt" -o"D:\Restored"
List an encrypted archive's contents
slimarch.exe l secret.slim -pMyPassword
Test archive integrity
slimarch.exe t backup.slim
Create a self-extracting archive PRO
slimarch.exe c installer.slim app_files -sfx
Split into 100 MB volumes PRO
slimarch.exe c big.slim huge_folder -v100m
Split into DVD-size volumes PRO
slimarch.exe c big.slim huge_folder -v4.7g
Encrypt for a smart card, file names included ENT
slimarch.exe c secret.slim docs -cac -en
7. Notes
In a console window, create and extract show one progress line that is updated in place, for example Compressing 100.0% 2.46 GiB / 2.46 GiB 113 MiB/s, and at the end a summary: the archive size against the original size with the ratio (create) or the extracted size (extract), then Finished in ... seconds. When the output goes to a pipe or a file, progress is written as one JSON line per update instead (for scripts and the application).
The .slim format is created by Slim Archiver. To extract other formats (.zip, .rar, .tar, .gz, .tgz), use the graphical application.
There is no password recovery. If a password is lost, encrypted contents cannot be recovered.
Passwords passed with -p may be visible to other users via the process list on a shared machine; prefer the graphical application for sensitive passwords on multi-user systems.